Meet Petar Segrt: The coach who has transformed Tajikistan into shock Asian Cup contenders

Meet Petar Segrt: The coach who has transformed Tajikistan into shock Asian Cup contenders
Tournament debutants have already made history and now stand between Jordan and progress to the semifinal. (AFP)
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Updated 02 February 2024
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Meet Petar Segrt: The coach who has transformed Tajikistan into shock Asian Cup contenders

Meet Petar Segrt: The coach who has transformed Tajikistan into shock Asian Cup contenders
  • Tournament debutants have already made history and now stand between Jordan and progress to the semifinal

Petar Segrt is a man who is not easily shaken. From deciding to remain as Georgia national team coach when Russian tanks rolled into the country in 2008, to coaching in Afghanistan, Segrt loves a challenge.

His latest endeavor is arguably the most unlikely yet. Returning to the former Soviet Union, Segrt has not only taken Tajikistan — a country with very little previous football pedigree — to its first Asian Cup, he has masterminded an unlikely journey to the quarterfinals.

As often happens, the Asian Cup has been characterized by beautiful unpredictability this year. The likes of China and Saudi Arabia have already been eliminated, while Palestine progressed to the tournament’s last 16 despite most players’ families being affected by the conflict and suffering in Gaza.

Palestine’s fairytale was ended at the Round of 16 by hosts Qatar, but Tajikistan’s goes on after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over the United Arab Emirates. It led to dancing in the streets of the capital Dushanbe, and dancing in the team hotel in Doha.

“These players are the heroes and really it is amazing what they are doing,” Segrt told Arab News ahead of Tajikistan’s quarterfinal clash with Jordan. “They even had me dancing with them — I’m happy no one recorded it.

“If you visited Tajikistan before you would see only people watching Barcelona or Chelsea or Manchester City. Everybody wearing Messi and Ronaldo shirts. Nobody cared about the national team.

“In these last days I have been sent so many and I see children are wearing the shirts of our team. Can you imagine this? We are making an impact.”

Tajikistan had failed to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup in five previous attempts but made it to their maiden major tournament after topping a qualifying group that included Singapore, Myanmar and neighbors Kyrgyzstan.

In continental club competition, too, the Central Asian nation has been improving in recent years, with current Tajik champions Istiklol appearing in the AFC Champions League group stage for the third successive time this season.

In Qatar, Tajikistan drew with China and lost to the hosts before a dramatic 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Lebanon secured a spot in the last 16. Just making it through the group was a remarkable achievement on their tournament debut but then Tajikistan stunned the UAE to reach the last eight.

Next up for Tajikistan is a quarterfinal against Jordan at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayaan on Friday. Just like Segrt’s side, Jordan’s Asian Cup campaign has also been characterized by fighting spirit — epitomized by a sensational last-16 victory over Iraq in which two goals in stoppage time secured a 3-2 triumph.

“We know from the match against Iraq that they will keep going right to the end,” Segrt said. “They were 2-1 down and changed the game in two minutes when it had seemed Iraq would go through.

“They are dangerous and I think have the mentality to make something from nothing something very fast. They could have just settled to take that match into extra-time, but they wanted to finish the game.

“Jordan is a very clever team, with a very good coach and we must respect this. But we will give them a good fight. If we lose the match, I will be the most disappointed man but I know we have done something special here at the Asian Cup.”

Segrt has almost three decades of coaching experience, working across Europe and Asia — from the Bundesliga to the Indonesian Premier League. With Tajikistan, the Croatian has focused on bringing young players through and his squad is one of the greenest at the Asian Cup.

“I feel like I guided the team and used my experience to help them survive the group stage but now the responsibility is more with the players,” Segrt said. “It is their pressure now, not mine.

“That’s why I was so happy to beat UAE — they have shown me that they are men, not boys, and are capable of big things. This match was unbelievable. We conceded in the 95th-minute and usually this would leave a team mentally dead but we came back.

“I love these players. We trained these penalties before the game on Monday but this is a different pressure in front of 40,000 people. They showed they can handle it.”

Segrt insists he was confident once the match made it to a shootout because of his faith in goalkeeper Rustam Yatimov, whose save from Caio proved the difference between the sides.

Russia-born Yatimov had done it before for Tajikistan, thwarting two spot-kicks when Tajikistan beat Malaysia in the final of the 2022 King’s Cup tournament in Thailand.

“I know we have a goalkeeper who is a penalty killer,” Segrt said. “I knew he would save one, but I just didn’t know how many we would score.

“We should have won in 90 minutes, we should have lost in the 30 minutes of extra-time but then my feeling changed again before the penalties. I really believed.”

With a FIFA ranking of 106, making them the 19th best team in Asia, few others would have believed that Tajikistan could make it to the quarterfinals. Now Segrt insists the pressure is off.

“After the game against Lebanon, we won the Asian Cup,” the Croatian coach said. “Tajikistan won the Asian Cup when we got through the group. I saw this on the field, celebrating with my players — they jumped on me, they broke my glasses.

“Then we beat UAE and won the Asian Cup again. We have won it two times and the celebrations have been unbelievable. There was so much dancing at the hotel, the players didn’t need any fitness training the next day.

“This for me is football and I hope for these crazy players that they can dance again for one night.”


Ito’s Bayern debut further delayed after foot surgery

Ito’s Bayern debut further delayed after foot surgery
Updated 56 min 36 sec ago
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Ito’s Bayern debut further delayed after foot surgery

Ito’s Bayern debut further delayed after foot surgery
  • “Hiroki Ito required further surgery on his metatarsal. This took place today, Tuesday, and went well,” Bayern said
  • Bundesliga leaders Bayern had expected Ito to return at the end of October

BERLIN: Bayern Munich and Japan center-back Hiroki Ito underwent another surgery on his injured foot on Tuesday, the latest setback for the Japan defender.
The 25-year-old is yet to play a competitive match for Bayern, having arrived in the summer from Stuttgart for a reported fee of 23.5 million euros ($25.6 million).
“Hiroki Ito required further surgery on his metatarsal. This took place today, Tuesday, and went well,” Bayern said in a statement.
“The FC Bayern defender will therefore be sidelined again for the time being and will restart his rehab program as soon as possible.”
Bundesliga leaders Bayern had expected Ito to return at the end of October or start of November.
He broke his metarsal in a pre-season friendly against lower division side FC Dueren in July.
Ito made his Japan debut in 2022 and has since played 19 international games, scoring one goal.


Manchester United fans in favor of leaving Old Trafford

Manchester United fans in favor of leaving Old Trafford
Updated 05 November 2024
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Manchester United fans in favor of leaving Old Trafford

Manchester United fans in favor of leaving Old Trafford
  • Of 50,000 United season ticket holders, club members and executive club members polled, 52 percent said they preferred the idea of a new facility
  • The Daily Telegraph has reported that a final decision on which option to choose is likely to be taken in the first half of 2025

MACNHESTER: A majority of Manchester United fans favor building a new stadium rather than re-developing Old Trafford, according to a survey released on Tuesday.
Of 50,000 United season ticket holders, club members and executive club members polled, 52 percent said they preferred the idea of a new facility, while 31 percent supported the re-development of one of the most recognizable stadiums in world football. Another 17 percent were undecided.
United’s cross-city neighbors Manchester City left their Maine Road stadium in 2003 to move into the new City of Manchester Stadium, but Premier League rivals Liverpool have re-developed their Anfield home.
United released artist’s images in September of a potential Old Trafford regeneration project and have indicated that a new stadium could be part of a multi-billion-pound re-development project.
The club’s owners are considering options in conjunction with the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, which includes former United defender Gary Neville and World Athletics president Sebastian Coe among its members.
The Daily Telegraph has reported that a final decision on which option to choose is likely to be taken in the first half of 2025.
The Task Force is understood to have focused its discussions on building a new 100,000-capacity stadium rather than redeveloping Old Trafford.
Rick McGagh, United’s director of fan engagement, said: “We know how important our home is to fans and we need to listen to them and gain all their views and insights in order to develop the world-class stadium they deserve.
“We are able to view the results through different lenses to understand if our season ticket holders feel differently about anything than say our official members. And if younger fans have different views to older fans.”


ESL Saudi Challenge — everything you need to know

ESL Saudi Challenge — everything you need to know
Updated 05 November 2024
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ESL Saudi Challenge — everything you need to know

ESL Saudi Challenge — everything you need to know
  • The tournament playoffs will take place in Riyadh from Nov. 8-16, with the final on Dec. 7

RIYADH: The ESL Saudi Challenge qualifiers have officially ended and the stage is now set for the playoffs, which take place from Nov. 8-16.

After an intense round of Overwatch2 competition, the best teams from across Saudi Arabia have secured their spots and are ready to face off in the next phase, with a total prize pool of $20,000 up for grabs.

The success of the recent Esports World Cup in Riyadh highlighted the popularity of gaming among Saudi players and fans, and that looks set to continue with more competitions taking place across the Kingdom in the coming years.

The ESL Saudi Challenge, organized by esports and video game entertainment company ESL FACEIT Group, will also give the victors a chance to compete on a global stage.

During the playoffs, teams face off in an attempt to advance to the Finals, where the top three teams will go head-to-head in front of a live audience at VOV Gaming in Riyadh on Dec. 7.

Schedule and Format

Playoffs: Nov. 8-16

The best eight teams face off in the double elimination bracket matches.

Grand Finals: Dec. 7

The top three teams from the playoffs compete in lower bracket and upper bracket for the Grand Final. The winner will be crowned ESL Saudi Challenge Champion, taking home the top prize of $9,000 and qualifying for an international event in 2025.

Teams

The ESL Saudi Challenge will see some of the best teams in Overwatch compete for the grand prize:

Twisted Minds

Vision Esports

Himawari

Amigos

Roc esports

Al-Qadisiah

Dragons

Negative Mental Attitude

Prize money (USD) 

Total pool: $20,000

1st: $9,000

2nd: $5,000

3rd: $3,000

4th: $,1000

5th-8th: $500

Where to watch

Fans can watch  the playoffs on the ESL Arabia Twitch and YouTube channels. For those unable to tune in live, all matches will also be available to watch on-demand free of charge via YouTube.


Pakistan to host England, New Zealand and Zimbabwe women's cricket teams in 2026/27

Pakistan to host England, New Zealand and Zimbabwe women's cricket teams in 2026/27
Updated 05 November 2024
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Pakistan to host England, New Zealand and Zimbabwe women's cricket teams in 2026/27

Pakistan to host England, New Zealand and Zimbabwe women's cricket teams in 2026/27
  • Zimbabwe to tour Pakistan in Apri-May 2025, New Zealand to tour country in April 2027
  • Pakistan will travel to South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies in 2026 for cricket contests

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will host New Zealand, Zimbabwe and England women’s cricket teams for the first time in 2026 and 2027, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said this week, saying that the tours were part of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Future Tours Programme 2025-29. 

Zimbabwe women’s team will tour Pakistan in April-May 2026 while New Zealand will be visiting the country in April 2027, the PCB said in a statement. The English women’s cricket team will tour Pakistan in October 2027 while Bangladesh will be the fourth side to tour the country in October 2028. 

“Pakistan will host England, New Zealand and Zimbabwe women’s cricket teams for the first time as ICC announced Future Tours Programme 2025-29,” the PCB said in a press release on Monday. 

Eleven countries will participate in the fourth cycle of the ICC Women’s Championship being played from 2026-29 to directly qualify for the ICC Women’s 50-over World Cup in 2029, it said, adding that each team will compete against eight other teams in eight home and away matches. 

The fourth cycle of the ICC Women’s Championship, which will be played from 2026-29, will see 11 sides taking part in the event for direct qualification to the ICC Women’s 50-over World Cup in 2029. 

In the Women’s Championship, each team will compete against eight other teams, following the format of four home and four away series, similar to the current edition. Across 44 series, a total of 132 ODIs will be played, with each series consisting of three matches.

“The Future Tour Programme will see an ICC Women’s tournament taking place every year, starting with the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in India, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England, the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy in 2027 and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028,” the PCB added.

Pakistan will travel to South Africa in February 2026 and then play Sri Lanka in July of the same year as part of their away assignments, the board said. In November 2026, Pakistan will visit the West Indies while their final away series in the ICC Women’s Championship 2026-29 cycle will be in Ireland in June 2028.
 


Saudi Sports For All Federation and STC Group sign sustainability partnership

Saudi Sports For All Federation and STC Group sign sustainability partnership
Updated 05 November 2024
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Saudi Sports For All Federation and STC Group sign sustainability partnership

Saudi Sports For All Federation and STC Group sign sustainability partnership
  • Pact between the parties was inked at the 8th Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh
  • Collaboration will help identify opportunities for improving public participation in physical activities

RIYADH: The Saudi Sports For All Federation has signed a memorandum of understanding with the STC Group to promote physical activity, encourage social integration through sports, and support the development of grassroots programs.

The signing ceremony took place last week at the 8th Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, which was held under the theme “Infinite Horizons: Investing Today, Shaping Tomorrow.”

Shaima Alhusseini, managing director of the SFA, and Maha Alnuhait, general manager of sustainability at the STC Group, inked the agreement, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The collaboration will focus on establishing sustainability reporting frameworks, key performance indicators, and metrics in alignment with community-driven programs.

The SFA aims to leverage the telecom group’s expertise to achieve their goals and contribute to the objectives of Vision 2030, the SPA reported.